Threat of Love
by Ptrst
Summary: Slytherin Draco Malfoy knows something that Hermione Granger doesn't want him to know. A whispered threat, a one-word suggestion leads them into something neither of them expected. PG-13 for lots of reasons. COMPLETE!
1. Prologue A Whispered Threat

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: After reading my fanfics again, I realized that all of them share the basic Neville/Luna and/or Ginny/Draco relationships, so I decided to try something different. I think this story is working well enough right now, but I'll let you be the judge of that. As always, R&R.

"I know, Granger," said the cold voice in a whisper. He was standing right behind her in the dark, otherwise empty room. She could feel his hot breath on the back of her neck as he spoke the frightening words. An involuntary shudder ran through her body. She half wanted to turn around and laugh, ask him what he was talking about, pretend she didn't know. But she knew. And she could tell from the calm confidence in his voice that he knew, too. She didn't turn around.

"I'll do anything. Just don't tell." She was used to rumors being spread about her; in her fourth year, Daily Prophet reporter Rita Skeeter had written several false, negative articles about her. But this was one secret that Hermione just couldn't handle getting out. She wondered why Malfoy had even bothered letting her know that he knew before telling the rest of the school. For a second, she wondered how he found out at all; she hadn't even told Harry or Ron. But Malfoy had an annoying habit of knowing things he shouldn't.

"What makes you so sure I haven't already?" She could hear a laugh in his voice; he was enjoying this thoroughly.

"If you had, I'd have heard about it by now from someone else." She certainly hoped he hadn't told anyone. She was trying to seem confident; she couldn't sound afraid. "What do you want?"

One word. All he said was one word. But that word was the worst possible word he could have said. "You." He walked away, but Hermione could still feel the warmth of his breath on the back of her neck, and she knew he was still watching her, even if he was across the castle.

When she was certain he was no longer looking at her, Hermione turned around, stuck her head out of the doorway, made sure no one was around, and ran to her dormitory, blushing furiously all the way.


	2. Chapter One A Desperate Attempt

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: That was the prologue, setting up for the main story. I know there are several unanswered questions that the prologue raised (What does Draco know, for one), and those questions were unanswered on purpose. This chapter is quite a bit longer than the last one, and, in my opinion, is a little more interesting. But, again, I'll let you be the judge of that. R&R.

_What was that about?_ Hermione asked herself. But she knew exactly what he meant. The real question was how she was going to give him what he wanted. She could come up with no answer, so she decided to ask him herself.

She pulled out a piece of parchment, a quill, and some ink, and began to write:

_Draco – _

_I told you that I would do anything in return for your cooperation, and I meant it. But now, I'm not so sure. The vagueness of your "request" in addition to the strangeness of it leads me to the conclusion that what you want is something that I will be unwilling to give. Please hold your tongue, however, until we have an opportunity to discuss the specifics._

_Hermione_

Draco was slightly ashamed of his blackmail. Of course, it would have been easier to just tell the school. This was, he was being fair, giving Hermione a chance to avoid the scandal. He had decided to give it three days; if she hadn't contacted him by then, the school would know.

He wasn't asking for anything undoable; he just wanted to see how willing she was to make good on her offer of "anything". He thought it had been most unwise of her to offer so much, when she had no idea what he wanted. For that, she needed to learn a lesson. He hoped dearly that she would suffer in the decision-making.

Draco didn't expect the letter to come the next day; he was a little disappointed that she hadn't suffered over the decision as must as he had hoped. Because of his anger at her quickness to respond, he didn't just write a letter telling her what he wanted; instead, he held the owl at the table, turned the parchment over, and wrote "midnight tonight outside the Slytherin common room", rolled it back up, and wrote "Return to Sender" on the outside. He tied it to the owl with the same string it had been attached with, told it to give the letter back to whoever sent it, and watched it as it flew over to the Gryffindor table.

Hermione sat for a minute, trying to figure out a way to get out of going to the Slytherin common room in the middle of the night to meet Draco Malfoy. An excuse popped into her head rather quickly, but she thought it would look too suspicious to keep sending the same school owl back and forth across the Great Hall. She sat for a few minutes, trying to figure out another way to talk to him, but by the time she came to the conclusion that the owl was the only way, it had taken off.

She truly had no choice now. She would just have to tell him in person. A plan quickly formed in her mind, and she prepared to make a complete and total fool of herself.

"Oh look, Draco. It's that ugly little mudblood, Hermione Granger," said Pansy Parkinson who was infatuated with Draco. "What's she doing?"

Draco thought he knew. _Be tactful_ he thought. _Don't make a scene. _But he had no such lick. Hermione had decided to give Draco's words meaning. And she wasn't going to be subtle about it, either, She was Hermione Granger, and she did nothing halfway. If she did it right, which she knew she would, the entire school would know that something was up.

She walked over proudly, purposefully. For once, her nose was not stuck in a book, and she didn't let the weight of the bag over her shoulder show. Instead of looking at the floor like she usually did, she kept her eyes firmly fixed on her goal. She spoke loudly and clearly, so the entire room would hear her even if they didn't want to, but that was unnecessary; just the way she was holding herself demanded unwavering attention.

"Draco, honey." She put her hand naturally on his shoulder and tried to look innocent. "I'm sorry, but I can't make it tonight. I don't know how to get to your common room. We could meet somewhere else, a little earlier, if you want to."

"No, Hermione. It looks like we don't have to talk tonight." His voice was gentler than Hermione had ever heard it, and she could tell that he was hiding a grin.

Hermione was worried that he had changed his mind about giving her a chance to keep it quiet. "Why not?" She tried to keep her voice as calm and casual as her face, but inside she was afraid.

"Because, it looks like you already know what I wanted to tell you." He stood up and put his arm around her. He picked up his bag and they walked out of the Great Hall together, talking and laughing like they'd been best friends since birth. And as they reached the doorway out to the rest of the castle, every eye in the Great Hall saw Draco lean down and kiss a blushing Hermione,


	3. Chapter Two A Real Emotion

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: The plot thickens. This chapter may contain some mild language. Well, mild for where I live. In some places, the language may be seen as terrible. I don't really know. But this is your warning, so please don't get offended if there are a few "swear words". It's just the way the conversation is spoken, and I don't think I'd be able to edit them out without changing the mood of the chapter. As always, R&R, seeing as how this is my first try at a Hermione/Draco fanfic.

As soon as there was no one in sight, Hermione slapped Draco, hard, across the face. "What the hell was that for?" he asked, rubbing his cheek vigorously.

"What do you think it was for?" she almost screamed. Draco just looked confused. "You bloody kissed me!"

"That's what I'm supposed to do." Now it was Hermione's turn to look confused. He decided to explain. "I said I wanted you. The way you were acting back there, I take it you accepted the deal. Besides," he laughed, "you liked it."

Hermione blushed furiously and denied it. "I did no such thing! Where would you get such a foolish, impossible idea?"

"Well, it _was_ a guess, but you're such a terrible liar, I know I'm right. If I was wrong, you wouldn't be blushing right now."

That made her blush even harder. But her embarrassment was joined by anger. How dare he make such a presumption about her! And he accused her of being bad at something! The only other time anyone had accused Hermione Granger of being less than perfect was her third year, and she walked out on the class. "First of all, I am _not_ lying! I hated every second of it. Second, I happen to be an _excellent_ liar! And thirdly, if you try something like that ever again, I'll be forced to – "

"You do not make the rules here." Malfoy interrupted her. "Unless, of course, you want the entire school to know that you –"

"Shh! Okay. I'll play along. But if you ever say that out loud, _ever_, the deal is off, and I will personally ensure that the entire student body knows that our little 'relationship' was based strictly off of blackmail."

"I didn't know you could be so aggressive." He smiled. "You're sexy when you get angry." She blushed again.

"Let's not talk about that."

"Why not? You embarrassed or something?" Her face was beet red by now.

"There are several reasons why I don't want to talk about that right now, and the one you gave was by far the least important."

"Oh no, don't get all formal again. It sounds like you don't really like me! Why don't you go ahead and tell me why you don't want to talk about it." He was mocking her, trying to provoke her, to get her mad. She knew it, and she wasn't going to let it work.

"There are more important things we need to discuss. I don't care whether or not you think I am, as you put it, 'sexy'. I don't want to have to slap you again. And, yes, there is the one you brought up."

"I told you to lose the formality, mudblood!" He was getting angry. Hermione could see real pain and anger in his eyes. The kind of anger that could quickly escalate into something physical. She didn't want that.

So she let herself get emotional, like he wanted. "I thought you liked me! You said that I was what you wanted!" she said through tears. "Why do you treat me like I'm nothing, like I don't matter? You know how much that name hurts me!" She was really acting now. The name had no meaning to her. She was trying to calm him down, to make him feel guilty. She stopped the tears. "You're a real jerk, you know? You made me cry! And now you just stand there, staring. I'm not going to do a trick!"

His face and voice showed regret and guilt. "I'm sorry. I do like you, really, and there's nothing I want more than you." The scary thing was, Hermione knew that he was telling the truth.

She put her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "It's okay. I forgive you." He was calmed down now. She told him that she had to get to class, and that she would go outside Gryffindor tower at ten and wait for ten minutes for him, to discuss the specifics. He agreed. For some reason, a voice in the back of her mind kept thinking _Our__ first date_, and she couldn't silence it.


	4. Chapter Three The Apology

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: It looks like this story is going fairly well. I haven't gotten writer's block, and my ideas are being generally clear and understandable, at least in my head. As I said before, the major unanswered question (what is Hermione being blackmailed with) is unanswered for a reason. And in case you didn't catch it in the prologue, this is their 6th year at Hogwarts. That was briefly mentioned, but I thought I'd clarify in case you were wondering. This story is turning out to be one of the better ones I've written, and I hope you like it, too. As always, R&R.

It was seven o'clock, and Hermione couldn't keep her mind off of Draco. At first, she just wondered what exactly the specifics were going to be; what she would have to do to make sure that her secret stayed a secret. But after a while, she stopped thinking of what she would protest to and what he would make her do; she just thought of him as a person, not a pureblood Slytherin snob. For one of the first times in her years at Hogwarts, she found her mind wandering during lessons.

"Hermione!" Ron whispered urgently through Professor Flitwick's lecture on bubble-head charms. "Why aren't you taking notes?"

"I have other things on my mind," she said, half-there, sounding more like Luna Lovegood than herself. She looked down at her parchment and was slightly surprised to find that there actually were a few lines scribbled down about sizing he bubble correctly. She was less surprised to see the doodles on the edges of the parchment. She saw a few things written in large, loopy letters that she didn't want anyone else to see, so she quickly crumpled up the parchment and pushed it to the very bottom of her bag. She got out a new piece, which remained completely blank for the remainder of the class.

Hermione was like that through the entire day. She couldn't concentrate at all, which Ron and Harry saw as quite suspicious. Especially when the piece of paper she had been doodling on in Charms fell out of her bag while she was walking to the library before dinner, and Ron picked it up.

His face turned immediately from curiosity to anger. "What do you know about this?" he asked Harry.

"What is it?" Ron shoved the parchment in his face. Harry had to stifle a laugh. "Is this a joke or something, Ron?"

"_Why_ would I write a thing like that? It's... it's disgusting, is what it is! I – I'm going to kill him! I'm just going to go over to that little ferret, and murder him." Ron and Hermione had been sort of "unofficially" going out since the beginning of summer, and seeing the name "Draco Malfoy" written on Hermione's paper, circled with little hearts was far too much for him to deal with. He was still having trouble forgiving her for talking to Viktor Krum. And he was actually walking towards the Great Hall to find Malfoy, which, as Harry knew, wouldn't have been a wise decision. Harry grabbed Ron by the back of the robes and restrained him, which was no easy task.

"Why don't we wait to ask Hermione about it before we attack someone? Just to make sure it wasn't some kind of a mistake?" Ron stopped trying to escape Harry's grip, and seemed to calm down a little. He was out of his mind.

"Yeah, a mistake. Or a joke! I bet that's it. It was all just a joke, and any second, Hermione is going to come jumping out from behind a corner, laughing her head off, and I'm going to strangle her."

Harry noticed that Ron took a turn that would lead them to the library, not the Great Hall, and thought that Ron was serious. "Er, no, I don't think that strangling Hermione would do any good, either. We need to talk to her. You can't talk to someone after you've strangled them. Remember that. Talk first, kill later. Talk first, kill later." Ron started to repeat the phrase. Harry felt a little guilty about taking advantage of his friend's weakened emotional state, but quickly got over it. He turned Ron around, and they found their way to the Great Hall.

They waited at the door until they saw Hermione come in, and chose seats on either side of her, Ron breathing deeply so as to not try to hurt anyone. "Hey, guys! Ron, what's wrong?" she asked, seeing the strained look on his face.

"This is what's wrong, Hermione! Are you out of your bloody mind?!" Ron almost shouted, waving the parchment around wildly.

She reached out to grab it from him. "What's this? Let me see." As she recognized it, the look on her face changed rapidly to embarrassment. She snatched it away from him. "Has anyone else seen this?" she asked seriously and quietly.

"So it's true!" Harry joined the conversation. "You – You – You really li–" Hermione cut him off.

"Shh! Say that out loud, and I'll give you antennae!" Harry didn't want to know if Hermione was exaggerating, but he had a feeling she wasn't. Ron looked like he was about to scream.

"What's this about, Hermione?" Harry asked, trying to stay calm. He was trying to not believe it; Hermione and Malfoy? The prospect was laughable at best.

"Let's take a walk," she said, getting up. She saw that Draco was looking at her, and thought that if he knew that she told anyone about their agreement, he would change his mind and tell. So she whispered, "Wait a second, and listen carefully. I can't explain now. Stay there for exactly two minutes, then go to the Room of Requirement. Make sure you're not followed. Don't attract attention. I'll meet you there."

"What's her problem?" asked Harry when Hermione was gone. "She sounded like Mad-Eye Moody." Ron was looking at his watch. They sat at the table, pretending to eat, until two minutes had passed. Then, they followed Hermione's instructions, taking a much longer way than usual. They didn't see what the threat was, but they had learned by then that Hermione was always right, and it was better to just do what she said.

When they finally arrived at the Room of Requirement, they found Hermione standing with her back to the door. She turned around and they saw that her eyes were red and her cheeks were wet. Hermione never cried; something was seriously wrong.

"What's wrong?" asked Ron. He didn't look mad anymore, and his voice was worried.

"It's not real."

"What?"

"I swear, he's making me!" Harry and Ron were confused.

"You mean, Malfoy?" Ron guessed. Hermione nodded. "What's he making you do?" His anger was back, but directed towards a different target.

"I – I don't know yet," she admitted, feeling a bit foolish. "He's going to tell me later tonight." She grabbed Ron by the shoulder. "I don't want to, Ron. I honestly don't want to. But I – I have no choice. I'm so sorry."

"Hermione, no one can make you do anything you don't want to. You're the cleverest witch in our year. There's nothing he can do to you, Hermione. Nothing."

"Yes, there is."

"What's that?"

"I can't tell you. If he finds out I told you as much as I already have, I'm going to regret it. Just, remember what I said. Especially you, Ron. Whatever happens, know that I have no choice. Things might get weird for a while.

"Here, take these." She handed them each a galleon. "I've put a Protean Charm on them, just like the D.A. coins." She gave them both a hug and gave Ron a kiss. "Wait a few minutes before leaving, please. I don't want him to know I told you." She walked back to the Gryffindor common room and thought about what she had just done.

Of course, it was necessary for her to tell Ron and Harry that something was going on. But she wasn't too sure about not wanting to. Somewhere, deep in her subconscious, she had always wondered what it would be like to be with Malfoy, to be on the side of the bad guys. She couldn't just do whatever Draco told her to without telling her best friends why, though, even if she couldn't tell them everything. And she would have felt terrible if she had let Ron suffer like that, thinking she was cheating on him. She had to do something, and now she was free to succumb to the will of Draco Malfoy, her arch-enemy since her first year at Hogwarts. Not that she had a choice.


	5. Chapter Four The Deal

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: That last chapter was a bit melodramatic for Hermione, but remember, it was partially acting. And I'm feeling melodramatic right now. Meh. I've gotten a few good reviews for this story so far, which makes me want to keep writing it. I always write better when I know I have someone reading it. And I bet that if I knew more people were reading it, my writing would improve!

Okay, I confess, I like getting reviews. It makes me feel good to know that someone thinks my story is good enough to read it and write something about it. That's why I almost always write a review when I read a story.

On a side note, I would just like to say that you should read the stories written by Taintless, Chinesemoon, and EvilSquirrelScientist. Those are my three favorite authors on this site, and I've read almost everything written by those three. That doesn't mean I don't read a lot of other stories, too, but those authors are some of the best (at least that I've read).

Just to explain, in case someone has noticed that I have a couple stories in progress, I can't focus on one thing for too long, so my other stories are going to be updated (hopefully) soon.

As always, read and review, because there is little that makes me feel better than when I see a message in my inbox from that says "Review Alert". Thanks to anyone who's reviewed me so far. Ready, GO!

Hermione wanted to show Malfoy that she wasn't giving in without a fight. She practiced the straightforward poise that she had earlier that morning, but without the flirtatious innocence. She remembered to speak loudly and clearly, and to look him in the eye while they spoke. She couldn't be embarrassed about anything, and she could not show weakness. And she had no reason to. She, now, had something on him; he was forcing her to be in a relationship with him, and she was sure he didn't want his little Slytherin friends to know that he was blackmailing a mudblood into something like that.

She looked at her watch and saw that it was already nine o'clock. She ran down the stairs from her dormitory and was shocked to see Draco Malfoy himself, sitting in the Gryffindor common room, casual as ever. "What're you doing in here?" she asked.

"What does it look like? I'm waiting for you."

"You can't be in here!"

"And why not?"

"People are already getting suspicious. Namely, Harry and Ron."

"Well, with that performance you gave this morning, it's not that hard to believe. Very convincing, I might add."

"Thank you."

"Well, weren't we supposed to talk about something?"

"Hmm?" Hermione had mostly forgotten about that. "Oh, yes. Not here, though. Wouldn't want anyone to overhear us, now would we?"

"By anyone, you mean Potty and the Weasel King?"

"If you mean Ron and Harry, yes, that's exactly what I mean."

He laughed. "Okay, fine. Let's take a walk."

They walked around the castle, looking for an empty corridor or classroom. After a while, they stumbled upon a classroom on the third floor that had obviously not been used in years, which was exactly what they needed.

"What will it take," asked Hermione, "for my secret to remain a secret?" No point in wasting time. "Be warned, I do have my limits."

"Fair enough. What are your limits?" Hermione was surprised that Draco wasn't getting pissed off again; he was actually being civil towards her.

"Only minimal physical contact, for one." That was a major point to Hermione. She wasn't sure how Draco was going to take it.

"What do you mean by minimal?" He was looking for a loophole. Hermione didn't want to give him one.

"Nothing more… affectionate than a kiss on the cheek."

"How's that going to look? Nothing but a kiss on the cheek? How about on the lips? It's got to be convincing."

Hermione didn't want to budge on that subject, but she remembered that the point of the meeting was to compromise, and perhaps she was being a bit too protective. If she gave a little, maybe Draco would, too. "For the sake of compromise, I will grant you that privilege. But that's it."

Draco nodded. It was his turn to state a point. "Sitting together during shared classes is a must." They had potions, Herbology, and transfiguration together. Harry was in all of those classes, and Ron was in Herbology. Hermione didn't want to leave them to sit with Draco instead of her best friends.

"I'll give you potions and transfiguration. Herbology, I sit with my friends." Draco had to give a little this time. She couldn't ditch her friends all day to sit with who, up to now, had been their archenemy.

"Agreed." Hermione saw that he didn't like it. But she wasn't going to spend all day with him. She needed time to be with her friends, to forget about the deal. She needed time to do damage control on the rumors that were sure to be spread about her. So he would have to deal with it.

Her turn. "What about weekends?" she asked.

"Your Saturdays belong to me." Hermione was furious that he worded it like that.

"Excuse me?"

"That's half of the weekend. You'll still have Sundays for whatever you want to do." Hermione looked skeptical. "I let you have Herbology; let me have Saturdays."

"How about if I keep my Saturdays, and I give you Sundays, instead," she offered. The library was normally busy on Sundays. Saturdays, it was quieter.

"How about if we just forget the whole thing, and I just let slip about you?" Oh great, he wasn't going to let her have her Saturdays.

"How about if I just let slip about this arrangement?" Hermione was not above using blackmail for something as serious as this.

"Saturday of one week, Sunday of the next. That's the best deal I'm willing to give you."

_Well, he is trying. _"Agreed. Anything else?"

"I'm not doing this for appearances, Hermione. I don't care about convincing people; I care about convincing myself. As much shit as you're going to catch for this, I'm going to get twice as much. It would be easier and less painful for me to just tell everyone. But I'm not going to, this time."

"Why not?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"When my father got out of Azkaban, he didn't come back. Not for me. He showed up, took my mother by the arm, and told me that I'd better not mess up his house, and he wouldn't be back. Then he left, and I haven't seen either of them since. I need someone. I need you." It was the first time Draco had been so honest with her. She wanted to cry. He had spent those months completely alone. She couldn't imagine. Hermione opened her mouth as if to say something, but couldn't think of anything to say.

"Well, I think that's it. I'll see you in Potions tomorrow," he said, recovering his business-like demeanor. He walked out of the classroom, leaving Hermione to stand and think about what had just happened.

(Author's Note: Okay, I have an idea. I'm not going to tell what Draco is blackmailing Hermione with until someone guesses it correctly, or chapter 10, whichever comes first. Though I'm making up the story as I'm going, I know what he's blackmailing her with, so I'm not just trying to get someone to figure it out for me. Even though that's exactly the type of thing I'd do. J)


	6. Chapter Five What Everyone Else Sees

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: This story isn't getting on my nerves, like most of my stories do at about this point, so I guess that's a pretty good thing. I still don't know exactly where this story's going to go, so bear with me, please. I am willing to disclose what Draco is blackmailing Hermione with as soon as someone correctly guesses it, because I'm just a dork like that. If no one gets it right, I'll put it in chapter ten, not the tenth chapter. This is the sixth chapter, but it is only chapter five, because of the prologue. No one's gotten it right yet, though I have heard some pretty interesting theories. Since I want you guys to keep guessing, I'm going to include a little hint at the end of the chapter in an author's note. Special thanks to iamdraco'sgal, lindamente122, XXXpinkkitty5467, Knight-lady-no.1, Eman, Taintless, EnchantedBeauty, DanRadcliffe5666, and Luna G, who have reviewed this story so far. This chapter is going to be mostly fluff and background, as I'm getting a bit tired of writing about their deal-making and blackmail. As always, R&R.

Hermione was confused. In her mind, she knew that she was a Gryffindor and he a Slytherin, and nothing could happen between them because of that, at least. She knew that being with him would ruin her, both her reputation and her sense of self-worth. But she was curious, to say the least. She wasn't used to being desired. For years, she had been a friend and nothing more, the buddy that was asked for advice on other girls. In her fourth year, she had the attention of Viktor Krum, a seventeen-year old internationally famous Quidditch player. Needless to say, she was pleased. Then, Ron. Her best friend since first year, and, in the summer after her fifth year, her boyfriend. She still loved him dearly. But lately, the excitement was gone out of the relationship; it seemed to be based more on habit than actual affection. Some days, she wanted out, and those days were happening more frequently than ever before. But she lacked the necessary cruelty to end it, and did her best to forget those thoughts.

Draco Malfoy was offering her a way out; more than offering, he was _forcing_ her to break up with Ron. The fact that she didn't have a choice eased her guilt slightly.

She was lying to herself. Yes, if she did as Draco wanted her to, she would be out of her relationship. And yes, it did feel good to be wanted. But she knew that wasn't all. All the girls in her dorm had realized it by now; Draco Malfoy was possibly the best-looking guy at school. And he was smart. Not as smart as Hermione, but she was the top student at Hogwarts.

She had heard the other girls in her dorm whispering, late at night when they were supposed to be asleep. _He could have any girl he wanted,_ Lavender would say dreamily, but Hermione would think _Not__ me_. She had hated Draco since the first time she had spoken to him, at age eleven. He was cocky, thought himself above everyone else because he had money and an influential last name. And that smirk! It melted any girl's heart, with the superiority, the confidence with which it was used. Except in Hermione. It infuriated her that he thought himself so high and mighty, with everyone else far below him, not worth even looking at.

But she was starting to see what the other girls saw in him. His confidence, unconquerable and unshakable, his looks, which most guys would pay to have, his intelligence, second only to herself. And now, he was acting almost human, showing emotion, showing weakness for the first time. Though she could think of better situations to be in, she could also think of much worse. And with the war at hand, she knew she could trust Draco to protect her, if she needed protecting.

With this in mind, and much more, she fell asleep to happy dreams of Draco.

Author's Note: Okay, your hint is: 5th year.

Hope that helps!


	7. Chapter Six The Plan

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: This chapter was written between 1:30 and 4:00 this morning, so if it has some fuzzy parts that don't make any sense, I was probably half asleep. This chapter is fairly non-fluffy, and it has the beginnings of some major conflict. It takes place one month after chapter 5, so there's a time gap in there. The D.A. has continued from 5th year, as you will soon read, and things have basically gone as expected between Hermione and Draco, and Harry and Ron, remembering her apology, are still her best friends. For accuracy reasons, Parvati and Lavender are the only Gryffindor girls in the Trio's year. My favorite character, Luna, makes a cameo. As always, R&R.

Hermione was violently awaken out of a deep, pleasant sleep by a loud, piercing scream from somewhere in the castle. She sat up straight in her bed, blinking her eyes open and shut several times, trying to regain her senses. It was a month after she finalized the deal with Draco. News had been spreading for a few days about an attack on the castle. And Draco had warned her last night to be careful. There had been tears in his eyes, though she hadn't known why. But now she knew.

She checked around her dorm to see if Parvati and Lavender were still asleep. They were. "Wake up you guys, come on!" she whispered urgently, trying not to attract attention or let anyone know there were still people in the dorm. Lavender woke up with the words, but it took a hard shake to wake Parvati, who did so with a snort. Hermione put a finger to her lips and motioned for them to stay there; she walked to the door leading to the staircase and stuck only her head out of the room, checking for people in the common room. It was full of all the Gryffindor boys, but no girls, and the staircase had, once again, become a slide, with several boys trying unsuccessfully to climb up the smooth surface. They saw her face and stopped trying to gain access to the girls' dorms, and the staircase promptly regained its former appearance.

"Come on down," Harry told her in a loud voice upon seeing her. "We've put a silencing charm on the portrait hole, so don't bother about whispering."

"Let me get the rest of the girls first. When I tell you to, get on the staircase so they can slide down. Stairs are too dangerous for someone who's still half-asleep." She got Lavender and Parvati, and told them to start waking up the girls and getting them on the stairs. They looked confused but agreed anyway. Soon, every girl in Gryffindor was standing on the spiral staircase, and Hermione called for the boys. They all landed in a heap at the bottom of the staircase. They would have been laughing hysterically if the situation hadn't been so dire. "He's here, isn't he?" Hermione asked Harry once she had recovered from her fall. He nodded solemnly. "Who's winning?" She was almost afraid to ask.

"We can't say for sure. I heard a scream and pulled out the Marauder's Map. I saw his name, and you know it never lied. I woke up the rest of the guys, and we each put a silencing charm on the portrait hole, to make sure it's powerful. We haven't left the common room, and there are too many people on the map to make sense of it all." He looked at her with sad, scared eyes and embraced her. "But it doesn't look good, 'Mione."

"This is stupid!" shouted some seventh year Hermione knew only as Roger. "We should be out there helping! If the teachers lose, we're all dead anyway!"

"He's right, you know," Hermione said suddenly. "Almost all of us are in the D.A. We would make a difference, even the ones who aren't." Since Umbridge's reign had ended, the D.A. wasn't a secret anymore, and had a membership consisting of more than twice what it used to be. She stood up on a chair. "Who's in favor of fighting back? Be warned, both sides are going to suffer losses. If you're not willing to get hurt or maybe even dead, stay here. This is NOT a vote. If you want to stay, no one will think any less of you." She gave them a chance to think about it for a few seconds before saying, "If you want to fight, come to the front. If you want to stay, go to the back and work on a plan of defense in case they somehow manage to get in here." About fifteen people, mostly first years, went to the back. Everyone else came to the front. She let Harry take leadership, since he was head of the D.A.

He took out the map. "We need help. There aren't enough of us to do much damage. We need the rest of the D.A. Any suggestions?"

"Floo powder," said Roger. We go into their dorms and make the same proposal. Are they awake?" he asked Harry.

"Ravenclaw is in the common room, same as us. Hufflepuff is still asleep, though."

"I suggest we divide into thirds. One group stays here and helps them," he motioned to the back, "one goes to Hufflepuff, and the other to Ravenclaw."

"We'll need to organize. Bring everyone, D.A. or not, back here." Harry's suggestion. "My group will stay here and wait, Ron's group will go to Hufflepuff, and Hermione's to Ravenclaw."

An idea and a terrible thought struck Hermione. "What about Slytherin?"

Harry laughed. "I don't think they'll want to fight against Voldemort. Or their parents."

Hermione was furious that he would make such a comment when he knew about her and Draco. "Draco warned me about this attack. I'd probably still be asleep right now if I hadn't been half-listening all night. Besides, Slytherin isn't the same as evil! There's not really that much of a difference between Slytherin and Gryffindor, anyway!"

"Alright! You can go!" Harry knew that it was always better to just do as Hermione said.

She pointed to Roger the seventh year. "You take my place. Go to Ravenclaw. Bring everyone back, even if you have to carry them." She was feeling controlling again. "We only have a little Floo powder, so Harry's group, the stay behinds, and I will keep the portal open with our magic. It's not that hard. Just focus on keeping the fire green and letting them come through. First Ravenclaw, because Hufflepuff will take longer. Once his group is back, switch it to Hufflepuff and keep it open. Some of the Slytherins aren't very friendly towards me, so I won't go until everyone else is back, in case I need to make a quick exit. Harry, check that the dorms are still safe. GO!"

They all did as they were told, Hufflepuff group going first, followed by Ravenclaw, with the flames staying green. After a minute that felt like an eternity, the first Ravenclaw, Luna Lovegood, came spinning through the flames. She was quickly pulled away to make room for the next; and so it continued for the better part of an hour, until most of Gryffindor and all of Ravenclaw were assembled in the room and the fire, still green, switched focus to the Hufflepuff common room. The students all looked sleepy with the Gryffindors coming last, actually carrying some of the younger students, who looked frightened and confused.

"Wait!" called out Harry as Hermione prepared to step into the emerald-green flames. He was looking at his map and frowning. "You can't go, 'Mione. It's too dangerous. There's Death Eaters in the common room." He looked at the students who had their wands out, pointing towards the fireplace. "Cut the connection! The last thing we need is a horde of Death Eaters in here, with nobody to hear us scream." The fire turned back to normal. He looked at Hermione. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you go. It's too risky."

"I understand," she said simply, sadly. She quickly recovered herself. She regained her position on the chair and took control, even though it was Harry's job. "I'm giving everyone the same option. It doesn't matter how old or skilled you are. Whether you're a member of the D.A. or not, all of us are in danger, and all of us can help. But before you decide, remember that there is a very real possibility of getting hurt or maybe even killed. If you'd rather stay and protect our stronghold, no one will think any less of you. But if you want to fight, you have to be prepared to fight with everything you have, I'm not trying to discourage you, I'm trying to warn you. If you want to attack, go to your right; if you want to defend, go to your left. And good luck to us all."

(Author's Note: Your hint for this chapter is: Nighttime)


	8. Chapter Seven The Attack

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: Sorry about the long delay in updates, but I've been preoccupied with reading other stories, writing ones that I may or may not post, and I want this chapter to be as good as I can make it because of the delay. In this fic, pretend that the Gryffindor common room can hold about 300 people, okay? As always, R&R.

Hermione looked at the people trying to move; the room was too full for it to be done easily. She could tell, though, that the only people staying were most of the first years and a few second years. That wouldn't do. They were inexperienced; if Death Eaters managed to get in, they wouldn't stand a chance. She hopped down from her perch and approached Ravenclaw seventh year Cho Chang.

"Will you stay?" she asked. Cho looked confused. "Look. First and second years. They're capable of adding to the confusion of the fight, but if the Tower gets attacked, they're as good as dead. They need someone older, someone who has a real reason to fight. You were mad at yourself because you weren't there in your fifth year, when Cedric got attacked, and I know you'd be even more mad if you leave and a massacre takes place. Will you stay and help them stay alive?"

Cho hesitated only for a moment before nodding. "I will stay."

"Thank you," said Hermione. "I'm sure that they'll be thanking you later, too. Good luck."

It seemed odd to Hermione how solemn things had became. Just hours earlier, Gryffindor was partying, celebrating their latest Quidditch victory over Slytherin. Now, almost every student at Hogwarts was in the common room, talking quietly. Some were crying, some were shaking, and none were happy. She walked over to where Harry and a lot of other students were standing around in a big circle, with Harry at the center and Ron close by. She maneuvered her way through the crowd as best as she could, trying not to step on anyone's feet, until she was next to Harry, who had the Marauder's Map out and was watching it intently. She stood silently, waiting for him to make a decision, and she could hear Cho's shrill, penetrating voice comforting the younger students. Finally, Harry spoke.

"How many of us are attacking?" he asked. While someone was counting, Hermione decided to ask Harry about his plans.

"What are we going to do?"

"There's a really high concentration of Death Eaters in certain areas of the castle. It would be foolish to try to attack them there. We'd be better off fighting in the emptier areas, helping the teachers and Order members that we can. If we don't have a strategy, there's no point in even trying. The corridors leading up to Gryffindor Tower are basically empty, but Hufflepuff is being searched right now, it seems. They probably see the empty dormitory and think that all the students were evacuated or something."

Something didn't seem right about that theory. It took her a second to figure out what. "The Slytherins are still here. Dumbledore wouldn't have left any of the students behind if he was evacuating Hogwarts. They just don't know where we are. Yet. Harry, we've got to attack soon, before they find us!" She was becoming slightly hysterical.

"218 of us are fighting," said a voice Hermione couldn't identify.

"Six of us have fought Death Eaters before," he muttered to himself. He thought for a second before deciding. "We need to split up. Six of us have had experience fighting Death Eaters."

Hermione didn't agree. "We can't split up! If we divide our forces, that makes it easier for them to get to us!"

"There's too many of us to stay together. It would be impossible to get anything done."

"But if we split into sixths, that leaves about 36 people to a group, including us! That's not enough, Harry!"

"It will be enough," he said determinedly. Hermione was horrified; he was going to kill them all with his foolish ideas. But there was nothing she could do about it; they all trusted him. And she couldn't just not fight; if she was going to die tonight, she would die fighting. "We're splitting up," he called out to the rest of them. "Six groups. 35 to four of them, 36 to two. In command are me, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, and Neville Longbottom. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Neville have all fought against the Death Eaters before. If you are in their group, do everything they say. Sort off, now. Form the six groups. Commanders, over here. We don't want any discrimination, now do we?" Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Luna came over to where Harry was standing. He took out his map, yet again, and lowered it so they could all see. "There are a few places we need to attack now, before anyone remembers we're here. Someone needs to take care of the corridors around the Tower, to let everyone else out. You can see it's pretty focused in the Great Hall, so we need to stay away from there."

"Wait a second, Harry," Hermione interrupted. She took out several pieces of parchment and put a Protean charm on them, so they would all mimic the Marauder's Map. "Now there are a total of seven copies of it. Let's leave the original here." She handed a copy of the map to the commanders.

"Good job, 'Mione. Now, I need you all to order your soldiers to leave Voldemort, and do the same, yourself. If you see him, the only thing you can do is run as fast as you possibly can in the opposite direction. He's in the Great Hall, though, so we shouldn't be seeing him, anyway. Any Death Eater you take down, send him off to the Room of Requirement in any way you can. That should hold them. Now-"

"Harry, look!" Hermione exclaimed. "They're on their way up here. We've got to go, now!" There was a definite note of panic in her voice.

"Right. Take a group and leave. Luna, clear out the corridors as best as you can." He turned to the students who had decided to stay and defend the Tower. "This is a map that shows every person on the castle grounds. Keep it safe. If all goes well, you won't have to fight. But be ready, just in case." He went back and took the last remaining group of students. "You're with me."

**(Author's Note: Okay, that was basically the whole battle plan thingy. Not very action-packed, but this next part is, okay?)**

It was magnificent to look at and horrible to experience. More than two hundred students, not even eighteen, fighting against fully grown, powerful Dark wizards. At first, they had the element of surprise on their side.

The look on the faces of the Death Eaters when Luna's group came storming out of the portrait hole would have been funny if any of them were in the mood to laugh. Before they could realize what was happening, stunning spells were shooting down the corridor. One of the seventh years bound the fallen Death Eaters with ropes and they were dragged back through the portrait hole for the defensive half to send off. None of the students were seriously injured, though badly aimed stunners hit a couple of students, who were brought back to be tended to. Luna's group, originally numbering 37, was down to 34. In the confusion, the other students managed to slip through, with their leaders checking the map every few seconds. After successfully detaining the Death Eaters that had gotten away, Luna's group count was down to thirty. The other five groups were still whole.

The second attack was Neville's. They came upon the Owlery, where Death Eaters were celebrating their victory by torturing the birds. There were somewhat major losses on the side of the students, but all the Death Eaters were captured. They were bound and gagged and sent by several large owls each to the Room of Requirement to stay.

Simultaneously, Ron and Hermione's groups attacked a rather large collection of supporters from different sides, blocking off their escape route.

As Hermione was sending a stunner at a hooded figure, Ron saw from a few feet away that there was another standing behind her, wand raised. "Avada Ke-" Ron ran straight into him, as hard as he possibly could, breaking his concentration and saving Hermione. She was horrified and temporarily unable to do anything except hug him. With her eyes shut and leaking tears, she didn't see the Death Eater climb to his feet and raise his wand again. She felt a horrible, painful pulse of magical energy, and a second later she realized that she was holding Ron up. "No," she managed to whisper, shaking her head and crying. Somehow, without realizing it, she wiped the tears from her eyes and used the same spell on the Death Eater who had taken her best friend. She was in such a state over the loss of Ron that she didn't fully realize the seriousness of what she had done; she had just used an Unforgivable Curse. She pulled up the hood of the fallen Death Eater and saw the platinum blonde hair that could only belong to a Malfoy. She had just killed Draco's father, and she didn't feel bad about it.

Sprung into recklessness by Ron's death, she used the Unforgivables on several others. The other students stared in wonder as they witnessed shy, bookish Hermione Granger permanently destroy the last of the Death Eaters in their area. She spoke before continuing with the purge of Hogwarts.

"Minutes ago, a brave man died saving my life." She was holding back tears of sorrow and anger. "He was my best friend, and now he is gone. If you have seen me do things that are immoral or illegal, pay them no mind, and do not do the same. When all this is over, I am sure I will pay for my crimes. And I don't want anyone else to have to pay for crimes they committed because they saw me do the same. All students in this room are now under my control. There will be a time for grieving, but this is not it. First, we defeat the ones who have taken our friends." She was about to cry, but somehow she managed to detach herself from the events that had just happened. The words were emotional, but once she had said them the emotions were gone, at least for a while. The fact that she had broken the law in the biggest way possible made her lose any restraints she had before. She only fought battles she thought they could win, and few who she attacked were taken as prisoner. It was amazing that she didn't get killed, herself; if she had been thinking straight, she would have realized that she was taking too many chances, unnecessary risks. But she wasn't thinking straight.

Many students were killed that night, but they won. They won because of the courage and strength they possessed, and the skills that they had been taught by teachers and students. Voldemort was not defeated that night; he was never there to begin with. When the bodies were counted and the prisoners dealt with, the professors and Order members were shocked to find many Death Eater bodies that they had not created. The students knew, of course; the students who stayed back in the dorm had fought only three Death Eaters that had managed to gain entrance, so they had spent most of their time watching the map to see what was going on. They saw a dot labeled "Ronald Weasley" run into a dot labeled "Lucius Malfoy" before disappearing from the map; they saw the dot labeled "Hermione Granger" say the words, and they saw "Lucius Malfoy" disappear as well. They saw several other Death Eater dots disappearing in the same manner. They were scared that one of their own could do such a thing.

After the battle was over, the students were thanked for their bravery several times, and told that Hogwarts would have lost the fight if not for them. They didn't hear any of it. They were all too busy mourning the death of the people they had lost. As Hermione had said, the time of grieving would come. And it had.

Classes were made completely optional for the rest of the year, though it was only November. Many students went home, afraid that it would happen again. Before anyone could leave, they all had to sit in the Great Hall and try to eat, just one more time. Not surprisingly, Dumbledore had a speech to make.

"You have all suffered at the hands of Lord Voldemort. You have lost friends, maybe even family, to his evil cause. But you have proven yourselves strong beyond any comparison, working together to do what many full-grown wizards could not.

"Because of this, you have all changed. Some of you may go back to how you were before, but it will be hard. You have now seen things that many would consider inappropriate for you to see, but you were here when they happened.

"The time is come for you to mourn your friends. Never forget them, because they have sacrificed themselves for every other good witch and wizard alive. But I know they would want you to continue to live, because that is why they are no longer here." With that, he sat down. Students had already heard that speech in a thousand different forms, so it made no difference to them. The meal was a quiet one, silent even from the sound of eating. One by one, tiring of staring at their plates, the students left the Great Hall and walked to their dormitories, haunted by the images they stirred, the images that would haunt their dreams for years to come. Most packed, preparing to leave the next morning. Some cried for their friends. Hermione just stared. She couldn't leave. She had no home to go to. She knew her parents were long dead from the owls that had gone unanswered since September. Hogwarts was her only home, but in it all she could find was rage and sorrow.

She couldn't cry anymore. She cried for hours and hours after the battle was fought, and she had no tears left. She felt hollow and empty inside. She neither knew nor cared about anything. She thought about a way to get rid of the pain, a way muggles sometimes used, but it was dangerous. She had the blade in her hand, but didn't have the strength to use it. She couldn't even stand up anymore. She collapsed in the bathroom and let go of the blade. She tried to get up but couldn't. She didn't have the willpower or physical strength to get to her feet. So she did the impossible and cried again.

**(A/N: Okay, so you can see I've sort of changed my mood from light and fluffy to dark and slightly suicidal. My writing reflects my mood, what can I say? I know there wasn't any brief form of romance even mentioned in this chapter, but it's hard to make a huge battle and the death of everyone you love romantic, okay? Besides, I wanted a change of pace. I'll try to make the next chapter a little bit lighter though, okay? Reviews are appreciated, let me know if I should stick to fluff or if I can do any emotions besides love and happiness. Even if it's criticism, I still want to know what you think. I'll start writing chapter 8 after I get ten more reviews. I know that seems like a lot, but I'm going to have to try to pull this story out of depressing and into something tha vaguely resembles happiness in a twisted sort of way. Oh yeah, and your hint, if you still want it, is that almost nobody besides Hermione could be blackmailed with it. Have fun!)**


	9. Chapter Eight Glinting Silver

Ginny Weasley walked in to the bathroom, shaking, and screamed. In front of her was one of the scariest, most shocking things she had seen, though it only affected her so much because of who it was.

Hermione Granger was lying, motionless, on the floor, a razorblade next to her. She screamed again, not knowing what had happened and too messed up to find out. "Oh God, Hermione, please, no, please God, no, not Hermione, please, please, be okay Hermione, please be okay, I know you didn't, I know you couldn't – you wouldn't, oh please be okay…" She muttered, falling to her knees and shaking her friend. "Help! Someone! Anyone! It's 'Mione! Please, please come help!" she half-sobbed, half-screamed.

Hermione opened her eyes. "Shh, Ginny. Calm down. What's wrong? Why are you screaming?" she asked.

"You – you're alive! Merlin, I thought you had – but that doesn't matter."

Hermione couldn't understand a thing Ginny was saying. "Of course I'm alive, Ginny. What did you thi-" She looked at the ground, where Ginny was staring, and saw the blade, laying there, still calling out faintly for her to use it. She shook the thought away. "Ginny, I'm so sorry. You're right – I was going to. But I didn't – couldn't – use it."

Ginny was still sobbing, staring at the gleaming blade. "You – you don't understand, Ginny. It's – it's so hard!"

"Of course I understand, Hermione! I was here too, remember? But I'm not – I mean, you – "

Somehow, Hermione found the strength to stand. "No Ginny, you don't understand! Yes, it was hard on you, but you – you have a family, you have a home to go to! I don't have anything! There's nothing left for me here, or anywhere else!"

"Wha-"

"My parents are dead, Ginny," she half-screamed, half-sobbed. "They've been gone for months. I haven't heard from them since September. I – I tried denying it, convincing myself that they were just busy or something, but they're not. They're gone, and they're never coming back. You – you still have your parents, and Bill, and Charlie, and Fred, and George, and even Percy! I don't have anyone. I'm alone, Ginny, don't you understand that? I can't go home, because I don't have a home to go to. I can't stay here – all I see is death."

She lowered her voice considerably, talking more to herself than to Ginny. "I hope the dementors come for me. I used the Unforgivables, more than once. I deserve Azkaban. I broke the law."

She was shocked. "Hermione, they're not going to put you in Azkaban! You were fighting for your life, for all of our lives! They can't send you to prison for that!"

"I know, Ginny. They won't send me to prison. I killed wizards – more than one – and nothing is going to happen to me because of it. I'll – I'll probably get a medal or something! But I don't deserve it!"

Ginny didn't know what to say. What could she say? The smartest witch she knew – one of her best friends – thought she deserved the dementors. Ginny knew there was nothing she could say to make her feel better. "Come on, 'Mione. There's something – someone – I think you should see before you try to – Before you do anything you're going to regret. Okay?"

Hermione nodded and followed Ginny out of the bathroom, leaving the glinting silver behind.

**It's a really short chapter, I know, but it needed to be written and I can't think of anything else to put in it. Thanks!**


	10. Chapter Nine Sweet Relief

Ginny led Hermione out of the bathroom, so Hermione could no longer see the sinister metal blade that had been calling to her. She had the older girl by the arm and was helping her support the weight she hadn't lost from days of not eating. She led her around for a few minutes with Hermione following blindly behind, not knowing or caring where she was going.

Until Ginny let go of Hermione and stealthily left her almost alone in the empty room. Hermione didn't notice. She was too busy staring in front of her at the wizard in the shadows of the room. She stared in disbelief for a moment, before he stepped out of the shadows.

"Hello Hermione," he said slowly, carefully.

"Draco?" she asked.

"Of course. Who else would it be?"

"So you're o- okay? I wasn't sure –"

"I'm as good as could be expected, all things considered."

"Your father. Oh God, Draco, I'm sorr-"

"Don't be sorry. He deserved it. I don't blame you."

"So you h-heard about what happened?"

He nodded. "Of course I heard. And I'm worried, Hermione." She stood for a moment, puzzled, before he spoke again. "I'm worried about you. That's why I asked Weaslet- Ginny, I mean, to find you. I wasn't sure if you had tried to do anything… stupid."

"I hadn't the strength to do anything at all. I c-couldn't even stand up properly."

"So I can see." And, indeed, she was leaning slightly against the now-closed door, shaking visibly. "I would ask if you're okay, but that's a stupid question. I can see for myself that you're – "

"Better than I've been in days, actually."

He stepped towards her, putting out his arm to steady her as she walked out of the dark doorway and into the brighter light of the room. He pulled her so close, she could feel his breath; it seemed like he never wanted to let her go, and she would have no problem with that. She felt so comfortable, standing close to him, being held, that she could hardly stop her eyes from closing and her body from falling asleep right there. She was, for the first time since she heard the shattering scream that started it all, peaceful. She had always believed that the only way to really know a person was to see into their eyes. She looked; his eyes were grey as they had always been, but no longer were they cold and guarded, at least not to her. The depth was almost frightening; one could get lost in eyes like his. But she didn't look away, she couldn't if she tried. And she didn't want to.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, genuinely worried since he was now supporting her almost completely.

"No." She thought for a moment, then changed her mind. "Actually, I'm scared out of my bloody mind."

He looked at her curiously. "Why?" he asked.

He wasn't expecting her answer. "Because," she said slowly, carefully. "I think – no, I know that I'm falling in love with you, and I can't stop myself."

**Author's Note:** Really short chapter, I know. But it was necessary, and I like it. Besides, I've been far too happy lately to do anything very angst-y right now. The chapter, in font size 12, was one full typed page on Microsoft Word. Reviews are appreciated, go ahead and guess the secret if you like, but it will be revealed in the next chapter, which will probably be the last chapter.


	11. Chapter Ten A Secret Revealed

Draco was shocked. It was impossible! And yet, was it really so hard to believe? After all, it had been deemed impossible for him to develop feelings for her, and that had certainly happened. She had despised him, there was no doubt about that, but he had changed – not drastically, not to most people, but maybe enough to change the way she saw him.

She, too, was surprised by her own emotions, but there was no denying them. She had been contemplating them for a while, before the attack on Hogwarts, but she had tried her best to suppress them, _for her own good_, she told herself. They had of late, been far from her mind. Until now.

Because, though she was still suffering, still seeing the pain and anguish of the fight wherever she looked, one place was now free of painful memories; his face. She could look at him and be happy, in a way she could be happy nowhere else.

She needed him. There was no other place she could simply be, she had no one else to love. But she had him. And that was something, wasn't it? She had nothing and no one else, but she had him, one speck of humanity, one reason to not just give up life altogether, as she almost had.

And he had her. His mother and father had left him months ago; his father was no longer alive, but that made no difference to him; and his mother? She had left as well, and he had not heard a single word from her since she had left. For all he knew, she was dead, just like Lucius. And if she wasn't, it didn't change anything. She was dead to him, either way. What difference did it make if she was dead to everyone else?

He needed her, but that was no secret; he had told her that over a month ago, when they were making their agreement. He knew at the time that it wasn't a real relationship, that she didn't love him and probably never would, but he needed it anyway. He needed someone to be with, someone to trust; he needed Hermione. But he never thought, in a million years, that she would need him, as well. To him, she had everything: a loving family and real friends; with all that, she could get through everything. But he was wrong. She never gave him a clue as to what was really happening. He didn't know that her parents were dead; he never thought that her friends could die, even if they were Potter and Weasley.

It was unreal, how they could feel this way. It had gone past the blackmail, past years of hate and malice. It shouldn't have happened, they knew, but there had been no way of stopping it once it was begun. Three words, whispered in the dark, intending to relieve one's pain by increasing it in the other had transformed over a period of a mere month into a few other words, stuttered in light, giving relief to the suffering of both.

"I love you, Draco," she said after a moment, still in his protective arms.

"I love you, too," he said with almost no hesitation. The words, new to his mouth, didn't feel awkward or uncomfortable, and he knew they were true.

A moment passed, neither wanting to say anything to break the comfortable silence they were enveloped in. Finally, Draco spoke. "Hermione, there's been something I've been wanting to ask you."

"Go ahead," she said, wondering what there was that he didn't know already.

"Is there really something that horrible that you were willing to be with me to keep quiet about?"

She looked at him as if he were insane, then all signs of calmness left her face. "You mean you didn't really know?" She raised her voice. "You're telling me that you were bluffing, I had nothing to be afraid of!?!" She pulled out of his embrace and stepped back.

He almost laughed at her, at how quickly she could change from being happy with love to being infuriated. Instead, he dared a smaller version of his trademark smirk. "I had no idea. But do tell, what was it that frightened you so?"

She laughed at this. After all, nothing bad had come of it; instead, she was happier than ever. She smiled. "It's really a bit stupid, to be honest," she said, looking down at the floor. She saw him nod and gesture for her to go on at the edge of her vision. "I – well – I failed my astrology O.W.L., okay!" She said this very fast and quite loud, wanting it to be done and over with.

He laughed, knowing it was the wrong thing to do but unable to stop himself. "Is that all?" he asked.

"Yes that's all," she said, covering her embarrassment with mock anger and sarcasm. "It was the night Hagrid got sacked – there was the big ordeal going on, Professor McGonnagal got stunned, you remember, don't you? I was too busy watching that, I forgot about the exam – I was only half finished when we had to turn them in. I've never failed at anything before in my entire life, and I don't intend on repeating the experience!"

But he wasn't listening anymore. He was laughing so hard, tears were coming down his face. It wasn't that funny, really, but he had had no reason to laugh for so long, when he started he just couldn't stop himself. Hermione, seeing the look on his face and the fact that it was quickly becoming purple, started to laugh, too. And they didn't stop laughing for a very long time.

Author's Note: Well, that's it. The very, very end of this fic. Ten chapters makes it my second-longest. I had a lot of fun writing it, I went through a lot of stuff while this was being written, and I know it shows – hence the random mood changes. In fact, I enjoyed writing this so much, I don't think I'll entirely leave it alone just yet, which is where you reviewers get a chance to really impact this. Any mistakes you can find – typos, spelling errors, miniscule (or major) facts from the book I overlooked/forgot about – if you see anything wrong with any portion of this, let me know – reviews, e-mails, any way you can contact me, go ahead and let me know so I can fix it. I want it to be nice and pretty, then I can show it to all of my HP obsessed friends and let them say "Ooh, shiny!" at it. Thanks so much for reading/reviewing, thus motivating me to write!


	12. Author's Note Please read!

I've never broken the "chapters can't be just author's notes" rule before, but I'm risking it, 'cause the story just ended. I know I upset some people (at least one person, anyway, and I'm guessing a couple more who didn't tell me) with the not-so-important secret in the last chapter. I know, it was pretty mean of me to build up the suspense like that, then make it be that little and insignificant. And I'm sorry. But, that's what I meant it to be from the very beginning, before I even wrote it down, and that was, actually, the entire inspiration for this story. Plus, even though it might not have been blatantly obvious in the entire story, I'm a pretty random person, and if you paid careful attention, you probably could have seen that. Having all this started because of a tiny little thing like that is exactly like me to do.

Thank you to all of my reviewers; without reviews, I probably wouldn't have finished it, and I can't tell you how happy I was to see all the review notices in my inbox. It was amazing.

Confession time: This is probably my favorite story that I've written. And I'm not too willing to take it out of the "In Progress" portion in my fanfic folder. So anything that you've noticed about my story – typo, plothole, miniscule/major detail from the books that I overlooked or just plain forgot about – PLEASE let me know and give me an excuse to keep playing with this story.

I was asked in a review for this story on whether or not I was going to have a sequel, and so I'll put the answer here, as well. I'm not planning on having a sequel, but, knowing me, I might end up with one, anyway. But I promise, if I do have a sequel, I'll post the first chapter of it at the end of this story, and I'll put something about it on my author bio-thingy beforehand. Sound fair?

Okay, I've muttered on long enough; review responses are below for everyone who's reviewed since chapter six, or something like that, with the number of the chapter of the review, for my sanity and your convenience, in parentheses after the name:

Mooney's Girl (6) – Um, I don't really know what you meant by the different chapter numbers, so it confused me, so I'm just not thinking about that half of the review anymore. Thanks, though, glad you like it!

Surreal illusions (6) – Thanks! 6 "wow"s? That's a lot.

Aura-chan Lunoin (6) – No, she's not a vampire or a werewolf, as you know, but you weren't the only one who guessed that, so I guess that must've been what it seemed like.

Autumn Took (6) – Thanks! Draco's okay-ish, I guess, and he got better, as you can see, so everything turned out okay!

Blinknena182 (6) – Thanks for the review, and I'm glad you liked it!

Chach-A-Lot (6) – Thanks for the decent-sized review! It's one of the longest I've gotten, I think. I'm glad you liked this story; I agree, it can be hard to find one you really like. I like a lot of the stuff Taintless has written on here, as well as Rootbeerfloat, but you seem like you tend to stay away from the graphic, so Rootbeerfloat might not suit you too well… Taintless, though, I would recommend, especially Sudden Changes, if it's still posted on this site.

xAmayAx (6) – Intense? You're the only person who's said that before. Thanks.

Enchanted Beauty (6) – You reviewed every chapter that I'm doing responses for, and that makes me SO happy that I'm responding to each individual one! I'm glad to see that there's someone else who loves Luna; she's so quirky and awesome, I love her!

Karana Belle (7) – Okay, okay. Here's the update you asked so nicely for. I hope you liked it!

Yummyguitars (7) – Thanks. Here's the update.

Tashapoopypants (7) – Glad you liked it.

Numba1gurl (7) – Here's your update!

Funny haha (7) – Glad you enjoyed it! The battle was a really fast thing, I agree, and I'll try to change it in the future, if I can make it any better.

Mooney's Girl (7) – As you can tell, Hermione is not a werewolf. Good guess, though, very few people even tried.

Enchanted Beauty (7) – Ron needed to be killed, for the sake of the story and because I felt a need to kill someone off, and Ron was the likeliest candidate. It was a pretty fast chapter, and not very descriptive, but it did what it was meant to do.

Enchanted Beauty (8) – You actually screamed when you saw the update? That is one of the nicest compliments my writing has ever gotten! Thanks. Well, the story is technically over, but I guess this might count as an update, right? Plus, if anybody tells me how I can improve the story, I'll keep working on it until I can't anymore.

Enchanted Beauty (9) – It's over, sadly. I can't believe it. This is officially the third story I've finished. I'm half sad, and half proud of myself.

Iamdraco'sgal (10) – Er, this is the last chapter I'm giving, I think, and it's not really an actual chapter. I'll change the story whenever I find a reason to, though.

Moone (10) – Thanks. I like it.

Vidagame041286 (10) – That was the end, yes. BUT if you see anything that needs to be changed (from typos to plotholes), go ahead and tell me, and I'll fix them; this story will be edited as often as I can.

Kendra is cheese (10) – I know, a pretty… unexpected ending. I knew I was going to end up upsetting somebody with that, but it's the way it was meant to be. I was originally having a hard time fitting that into the story, actually, but you don't really need to hear about that.

Enchanted Beauty (10) – Thanks for all the reviews, and I'm glad you liked the story!

Okay, that was it! I hope you liked this story, and I hope you read the other stuff I've written! I am, as always, willing to read anything recommended by someone else (I'm very openminded with fan fiction), so if you want me to read your fic, let me know and I will (assuming, of course, that I haven't already read your fic/reviewed it/put it on my favorites/put you on my author alert, which I know I've done in the case of more than one of you!)


	13. Chapter Eleven A Poetic Summary

A whispered threat

One-word request

Led them to much more

Their friends

And all their families

Could never know the score

It was a secret

They did keep

They kept it very well

And through her time

And acting

She broke through his shell

A high-pitched scream

A cryptic warning

Woke her in the night

Then she found

Her dearest friends

Preparing for a fight

The battle won

Enemies destroyed

And some friends were gone

She hurt, she cried

She almost bled

Unable to move on

Until she was led

One night

Into a darkened room

His face, his voice

His simple being

Relieved her from her doom

There they laughed

They spoke, they cried

In each other's hold

They felt so safe

So comfortable

They never could let go


End file.
